Apparatus and process for producing dental impressions



H. J. HENDERSON. APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3, 192]. 1,437,844.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

Patented Dec. 1922.

warren] STATES PATENT orrica.

HENRY a. HENDERSON, or vrcronrn, Bnrrrsrr COLUMBIA, CANADA.

.arrnnnrus AND raocnssron. rnoEUoINe DENTAL IMPRESSIONS Application filed. J'une13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. HENDERSON,

a subjectof the King of England,residing at Victoria, in the Province of British Co- 5 lumbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Apparatus and Processes for Producing Dental Impres-L a clean and sanitary condition. y p

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following specification.

The invention consists, generally, incertain improvements in apparatus for taking 25, dental impressions and,; more particularly,

to a novel means for partially retreating such impressions in order to dispense with the necessity of trimming or regulating the work to ensure an accurate peripheral fit. I

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will describe an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying.

drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is an underside plan view of an upper-j aw impression tray. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is an upper side plan view of a lower jaw impression tray. Fig. i is a view partly in transverse vertical section and partly in end elevation of apparatus including the tray illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, shown applied.

Reference being had to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 5 represents a tray adapted for holding a substance or composition for taking the impression of an upper palate and jaw and is provided with a forwardly extending stem or handle 6.

At approximately the center of its floor portion 7, said tray is provided with an aperture 8 within which is secured the end of a rigid tube 9. Said tube extends, preferably, along the underside of the handle 6 555 and to which it is secured by solder or otherand which may conveniently be retained-in 1921. Serial .No. 477,217.

wise. The forward extremity ofthe tube 9 is formed to afford a nipple 10, organ equivalent, which is enga'geable with the end of afiexible tube 11 (Fig. 4:) extending toa suction pump 12 which may beoperated by any suitable power or manually actuated means. To accommodate the patients tongue, however, the tray '51 for a lower-jaw impression is made substantially of a U-shape as shown in Fig. i

With such a construction, I employ two branch tubes 9 extendingfrom the nipple end 10 to the respective bifurcations of the tray. I

or composition which is adapted to set or solidify ator above a temperature of about 130 F. is placedin the cavity of a tray 5, foreXample and while at a substantially uniform temperature andv'in conformable state'is placed in a patients mouth. The

operator thereuponpresses the tray upwardly, tocause Said material to beforcibly.

brought against the roof of the mouth to receive a primaryzimpresslon thereof. The

. p 70 For use, a quantity ofimodelling material tray is thus held until the material sets or becomes firm, by cooling.

The tray, bearing the material, as 1 3 Fig.

4:,having the primary impression therein is now removed from the mouth and the material isthen pierced by a suitable instrument to provide a hole 14: which will communicate with the air duct afforded by the tube 9. n j I The portion of the material, as at 15, at and in proximity to the periphery of the mold is then softened by reheating the same and which may convenientl be accomplished by a torch or Bunsen ame.

in order tomoderate when necessary the temperature of the material to be bearable to the patients mouth, the tray and the partially completed impression material is then cooled, preferably by submerging the same in warm water. 'The tray-tube 9 is then coupled with the flexible tube 11 and, with the material portion 15 still plastic, the tray is returned to the mouth and pressed into position. Thus arranged, the pump 12 is actuated to exhaust air through the tube 9 from the interstice between the palate and the material thereby creating a suction which cooperates with the external atmospheric pressure to cause the plastic edges 15 of the material to be forced or brought into juxtaposition with the adjacent gum tissues in the mouth.

The suction or partial vacuum is maintained for several minutes or until the reheated portion of the mold or impression becomes set by cooling. The tray and mold are then removed and furnishes a matrice from which a practically perfectly fitting plate, bridge or the like may be produced v It is to be understood that the construc tion and manner of using the "appliances above described may be varied moreor lessto satisfy the convenience of the manipulator, the character of the impression material, or the requirement of a special piece of work, within the scope of the appended claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

What I claim is,--' I I v 1. The herein described process .which consists inftakin'g a dental impression in contormable material to i'orm a mold having temporarily pliable edges and then withdrawing air from the space between the mold and the gum tissues ot' which the impression has been made to cause the pliable edges of the mold to be forcedagainst the adjacent portions of said "gum tissues.

2. The herein described process which consists in taking the dental impression in conibrmable material to form a mold which is allowed to set andharden, then rendering the edges of the mold temporarily pliable, and then withdrawing the air from betweenthe mold and the gum tissues of which the impression has beenmade to cause the pliant edges of the mold 'to be forced against the adj acent portions of the gum tissues.

3. impression trayfor dentistry in: cluding atray'memberhaving a handle and adaptedto hold impression material, a tube extending through the bottom of said tray member'and adapted to communicate with a hole to be provided through said material,

and suction producing means adapted to be connected to said tube for withdrawing air through said hole and said tube r'rom above said material.

{i An impression tray for dentistry including a rigid tray member having a handle and adaptedto hold. impression material, a suction tube extending through the bottom of said tray member and adapted to communicate with a hole to be provided through said material, and means upon the outer end of said tube to facilitate connection "of the latter with a suction producing meansfsa-id tube being rigid and extending outwardlvbeneathand longitudinally of said handle, said tube being fastened to the ua del -surface ofthe handle'and extendingoutwardly beyond the outer end of the latter. An impression tray for dentistry'hav ing a handle and provided with means to facilitate the exhaustion of air from the interstice between impression material carried by the tray] and the gum tissues of which an impression has been made in said material.

6 As a meansv for-taking dental impressions without trimming, ,or-retreating such impressions to obtain accurate peripheral fit, an impression tray having a handle and adapted to hold material in which an im pression has been made and which has its edges tem 'iorarily pliable, and means associatedwith the tray to facilitate exhaustion of air from between the impression material and the gum tissuesot' which the impression has been inade; whereby'the pliable edges ofthe impression material are forced into snug contact with the adjacent port-ions or said tissues. v

Signed at Victoria, '13. (1, Canada, this 27th day of May 1921.

HENRY J. 'HENDERSON. lVitliesses B. J. Simvorr, D. A. Molmms. 

